ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · bore · cue · spell · mate · land · capital · bulb

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. land — ground
  3. cue — a signal
  4. land — a country
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. spell — magic
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. land — to come down
  16. capital — a city
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — letters
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bulb — for light
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mate — to breed
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com